Endangered
by ameliato2004
Summary: A disease is sweeping though pygmy penguins all over the world. When the team survive it for some reason, strange changes take place.


**Chapter:**

(Back in the zookeeper's office…)

Alice just got back from the last check up on her charges, the Penguins.

"Those weird penguins are sick again, some of their feathers are falling out. Hopefully they can get it over with by themselves." Alice shuddered. " I remember the last time that we had to bring them, and that was only for shots."

Bob (I don't really know the other zookeepers' names, so I am just using my uncle's) looked up from the Green Peace news letter.

"Nice. Those boys are pretty fishy." He answered and looked back at the report.

"Since when does Green Peace send us alerts anyway?" She asked him. "It is not like we have any valuable or endangered animal species that need special care or safe-guarding."

"Well, apparently there is a plague that is killing off some sort of Pigmy Penguins. Somehow some penguin sick with the original form of the disease had gotten into some toxic waste and the disease mutated into an air-borne virus. They say that it has traveled throughout the entire globe now. It is extremely deadly too." He answered and continued, not noticing Alice's face paling. "They want us to check up on ours and see if they have been infected...hum…I didn't even know that our zoo kept pigme penguins."

"How large of a death rate does the disease have?" She shakily asked.

Bob looked at her, concerned. "Well, the disease is very strange. Apparently, not a single male survived it, but 1 out of every 500 females does. They are getting ready to label Pigmy Penguins as an extinct species. It is only a matter of time." He put down the alert. "What's wrong?"

"We have to check my penguins. I think that they are sick with it. What happens to the birds that get infected?" She interrogated him as she began to throw on some clothing.

"Well, there are 2 phases. In Phase One, the disease attacks the sick, causing the body to reject its feathers in order to get rid of some of it, and the birds would begin to tire as the virus sucks up their energy. The disease quickly spreads inward until it reaches the muscles and organs. That is where Phase Two takes place. The virus creates a chemical that causes the heart to speed up and eventually explode. From there, the virus eats away at the body until it is just an empty shell, and sprouts into a type of moss to release spores into the wind. Phase One usually takes only a day to complete, but Phase Two only needs about half an hour." He quickly read off to her.

Alice paled and turned to him. "Come with me, I am going to need your help in getting them to the vet. They are losing their feathers."

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(Penguin HQ…)

The Penguins had just gotten rid of Alice.

"Good…cough…job men." Skipper said to his team. Half of them had fallen over as soon as Alice was out of view. All of them had large patches of skin showing. "I know that your all tired and sick, but you didn't show any sign of weakness. Just like every good soldier." Private fell over in front of him, barely clinging to alertness.

"Thank you… sir." The team answered weakly. Skipper wobbled and coughed. More of his feathers fell off.

He began to fall. "Let's have a break now."

It was all that he got out before he too ran out of energy to even speak. He just lay there on his belly and looked out, like the rest of his now-weak team.

It had been like this all day. Rico was the first to fall to it, then Kowalski, Private, and finally him. They all felt terrible. Suddenly Marlene burst through the hole on the island that led to their HQ.

"You guys! There is a major plague going around that is killing off all Pigmy Penguins. Someone named Green-Piece sent an alert to the zoo offices. I got it early on my radio. You need to stay locked indoors for a month or two….oh." Marlene stopped short when she saw the penguins. Her eyes grew watery.

"What was that…cough…Marlene?" Private managed to squeak out. "We are a little sick, and I don't think any of us heard you."

Marlene watched as feathers flew off of him when he coughed, and she broke down. Random thoughts flew in her head. _Their sick already. No male penguins survive the disease. They may as well be dead right now. It's too late. Now I am going to lose my closest friends. _

"Why are you crying …cough… Marlene?" Kowalski asked, not looking up.

Marlene looked at her 4 crazy, best friends, lying on the ground on what was most likely their last day alive and she realized something. _I shouldn't tell them that they are going to die. If this is their last day of life, they can't live it in misery…well, not any more misery than they have to. I'll just stay here and try to make it better for them. _

"No reason—" She began, but broke off as she spotted Alice and her zookeeper, Bob coming around the bend. She jumped into the island's hole and hid.

Alice saw the penguins and gasped, quickly putting the plank down to get into their enclosure. She hurriedly, but gently picked up Private and Skipper and gestured to Bob to pick up Rico and Kowalski. They ran straight for the vet's office, not bothering to shut the gate to the 'empty' enclosure.

Marlene looked out. _I guess that I won't be spending my day with them. _She began to cry again. _The least I can do is inform the zoo for them. It is what Skipper would have wanted to do if it were me. And who knows. Maybe they will make it._

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(At the vet's…)

The vet sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I am sorry Alice, but they are most definitely infected. The most that we can do for them now is to let them die in peace, quiet, and as comfortable as possible." He looked at her. "We are going to have to stay over night and watch for their deaths though. We will need to burn them as soon as they die in order to try to keep the disease under control, but if you ask me, it is already too late for the species if it has reached all the way here."

Alice just nodded and helped him wrap the penguins up in warm towels before putting them in a large cage together and sitting down in a chair for the night. They had already lost all of their feathers.

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**ameliato2004:** Don't worry everyone. Remember, this is not an angst story. I hope that you like this story. Don't forget to review, and I will try to update as soon as possible. Bye!


End file.
